


Unrequited Love

by Kookykrumbs



Series: Fate Binds Us - Missing Scenes [1]
Category: Terminator (Movies), Terminator - All Media Types, Terminator Dark Fate, Terminator: Dark Fate
Genre: F/F, Jealousy, Missing Scene, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:48:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22345897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kookykrumbs/pseuds/Kookykrumbs
Summary: A young Grace on the cusp of adulthood is jealous when a handsome captain is spending more and more time with her Dani.  This fic takes place in the same world as my fic, Fate Binds Us.  But this can be read as a standalone.
Relationships: Grace Harper & Dani Ramos, Grace Harper/Dani Ramos
Series: Fate Binds Us - Missing Scenes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608526
Comments: 16
Kudos: 104





	Unrequited Love

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the Terminator franchise. I don't make money off this. I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit of fun.

**Author’s Notes:** This fic is part of my _Fate Binds Us_ storyline. It takes place after the events of the film, but before Grace is sent back to protect Dani in the events of my fic. That being said, this can also be read as a standalone. 

** Unrequited Love **

“Miss Harper, are you paying attention?” Ms. Richards asked.

“Umm… yeah,” Grace answered sheepishly.

“What could possibly be outside that window that’s more interesting than quadratic functions?”

“Uhhh, nothing, Ms. Richards. I was just… ummm…”

“Woolgathering?” Ms. Richards supplied.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Grace said, truly meaning it. 

She liked her tutor, Ms. Richards, and didn’t mean to make her job harder. She was a lovely lady in her mid-fifties of average height and built. She had a warm smile and Grace often looked forward to their sessions. It was just that Dani was outside in her line of sight. And she was talking to one of her captains; Captain Ramirez. He was quite the handsome man, much to her dismay. He’d been stopping by their quarters more often lately. That didn’t sit well with Grace.

“What’s wrong, Grace? It’s not like you to be so absentminded,” Ms. Richards asked.

“I just haven’t slept well.” Which wasn’t a lie.

“Everything okay at home?” If you could call a small room in an underground bunker home.

“Yeah,” Grace said, not elaborating further.

Ms. Richards sighed. “I’m guessing whatever else we learn today won’t sink in. We only had fifteen minutes left anyway. Why don’t we call it a day?”

“Thanks, Ms. Richards,” Grace said, relieved her lessons for the day were over.

“Oh, and Grace, let Commander Ramos know I’ll be in my office for the next couple of hours. She mentioned she wanted to have a chat with me.”

“Umm… sure,” Grace said, worried about what Dani wanted to talk to her tutor about.

Grace watched Ms. Richards walk out of the office which was their little makeshift classroom. She let out a frustrated breath. She no longer wanted to study math, science, history or English. She’d be turning eighteen in a matter of days. 

She wanted to join the resistance and fight terminators. She wanted to stay as close to Dani as possible. It had gotten to a point that she was only seeing Dani once or twice a week these days. Her responsibilities as commander of the largest resistance force this side of the Atlantic was stretching Dani thin. 

Things have also been a bit tense between her and Dani lately. And Grace knew exactly when it started. It was when Dani declined her application to join the resistance for the second time… or was it third? She just didn’t understand why Dani was being so stubborn. She had aced all her exams and her physicals. 

She had grown another four inches in the last year and was just an inch or two shy of six feet. She felt she had the smarts, the size, strength, skill, and the determination, more so than a lot of the new recruits Dani was accepting. It hurt that Dani didn’t feel she was capable, when all she wanted to do was be by her side and always protect her. Dani didn’t realize the agonizing worry she goes through each time Dani went away on a mission.

And of course, there was Captain Ramirez. Tall, handsome, accomplished, oh, and Spanish. He’d been spending a lot of time with Dani lately. At first, Grace didn’t pay it much mind. She figured they were just talking about combat operations or reconnaissance. But then, she’d noticed they weren’t always talking about work. Work talk was always in English, but then she’d heard them conversing in Spanish. That’s when alarm bells started going off in Grace’s mind.

Did Dani have a thing for the captain? Grace was honest enough with herself to admit that she’d always harbored the hope that when she got older, and Dani no longer saw her as a kid, that they could be something more. After all, Dani was only nine years older than her. That wasn’t much. It wasn’t like Dani was a parent to her or anything. She had already been fifteen when Dani found her. It was just her bad luck that when Dani first laid eyes on her, she was completely malnourished and looked like she was twelve. 

But she was all grown now. She towered over Dani and was no longer the gangly kid she once was. Why couldn’t Dani see her as the adult she had become? She was so frustrated she could scream. It didn’t help her frustration that she and Dani shared quarters and she had to be around whenever Captain Ramirez joined them for a meal. And to Grace’s everlasting annoyance, those meals seemed to be increasing in occurrence.

Grace looked up at the clock on the wall. She’d been woolgathering for the last few minutes. It was time to go and let Dani know where she could find Ms. Richards. Grace wondered what Dani wanted to say to her tutor. Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t anything good.

**Several hours later**

“Thank you again, Captain for taking care of the training for the new recruits. I just didn’t have the capacity. This takes a lot off my plate,” Dani said, as she walked the captain to the door.

“Please, Commander, call me Edgardo.”

Grace tried not to roll her eyes and instead took a bite of her biscuit.

“I appreciate it, Captain, but speaking for myself, I know I will forget when we’re in public and will surely slip. Probably best to keep up the formalities,” Dani answered.

“Of course,” the captain said, giving Dani a charming smile. “Good night, and to you too, Grace.”

“Good night, Captain,” Grace said, her mouth still full of those sand-like biscuits. 

She didn’t really care if it came across as rude. The logical part of her mind knew it didn’t help her case for wanting Dani to see her as an adult. But whatever. She’d had a long day.

Dani closed the door behind the captain. She then turned to Grace, an inquisitive look on her face. Grace looked away not wanting to meet her eyes. Instead, she took a sip of the coffee in front of her. Truth be told, it resembled more sludge than coffee. But beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“You were very quiet tonight, Grace. Everything okay?” Dani asked, looking concerned.

“Yeah,” Grace said, shrugging, trying to appear nonchalant. 

“How are your lessons coming along?” Dani asked.

“Fine.”

“Were you able to ask Ms. Richards about those problems you were having with solving quadratic inequalities?”

“Yup.”

“And?”

Grace just shrugged, not in the mood to talk about math.

“Okay then…. Have you thought about what you wanted to do for your birthday?” Dani asked, obviously trying to get more than a one-word answer from her.

“Nope.”

“It’s just around the corner,” Dani said. 

“Look, Dani, I don’t really care.”

“But I do. You’re turning eighteen, we need to do something to celebrate it.”

“I’m shocked you noticed,” Grace mumbled.

“Wait… What’s that supposed to mean?” Dani asked.

“Nothing,” Grace said over her shoulder as she walked away.

“Hey, don’t walk away from me, Grace,” Dani said, reaching for her hand and pulling her back. “What’s been going on with you lately? You’ve been in a bad mood for weeks now. You hardly talk to me anymore. I’m worried about you.”

“I just don’t want to celebrate my birthday, okay? That’s all,” Grace said.

“I want to know what you meant by that,” Dani said.

“By what?”

“That you’re shocked I noticed. You’re shocked I noticed it was your birthday?” Dani asked, looking confused.

“No. I’m shocked you realized I’m turning eighteen,” Grace answered.

“Why?”

“Because you treat me like I’m a kid!” Grace yelled.

“I don’t-”

“Yes, you do! Like today, you talked to Ms. Richards about me. You’re not my mom, Dani!”

“I was just worried about you. I wanted to know if whatever it was that’s been bothering you for weeks now was affecting your studies,” Dani said.

“Nothing’s bothering me,” Grace mumbled.

“And I’m six feet tall,” Dani said, sardonically. 

“What do you want from me, Dani?”

“I hate whatever this is that’s festering between us, Grace. Let’s get this out in the open and move past it. What is bothering you?”

Where to start? “I don’t want to be tutored anymore. All of my peers have moved on and joined the resistance. I want to do the same.”

“We’ve been over this, Grace. You can be so much more than a mere soldier. You’re intelligent, a fast learner, and incredibly resourceful. You’re better off studying and doing something in science or engineering or even medicine.”

“But that’s not what I want!”

“What is it about being a soldier that appeals so much to you?” Dani asked, unable to hide the frustration in her voice.

“I want to fight terminators! I want to protect our people!” _I want to protect you_.

“You can do that without being on the front lines,” Dani argued.

“But that’s where I want to be.” _By your side_.

“Look, let’s compromise on this. I want you to finish this last year of your studies. If you still feel the same way after you're done, then we’ll talk about your options, okay?” Dani said.

Grace knew that Dani was hoping she’d change her mind. However, this was the biggest concession she’d ever received from Dani as far as her desire to join the resistance. And Dani was always fair. If she said they’d revisit this topic, they would. She decided she could let go for another few months.

“Okay, thanks, Dani,” Grace said, acknowledging that for the first time, Dani didn’t outright say no.

“Now, what else is bothering you?” Dani asked.

“I told you already,” Grace said.

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Grace. And I know you a lot better than that. There’s something else eating away at you. I’ve already declined your application to join the resistance twice before, and you never acted this way. Now, I’m not letting this go. What’s bothering you?”

Grace didn’t know how to put her feelings into words. A part of her was embarrassed. Who was she to fall in love with Dani, the most important person in this whole world? Who was she to get upset that Dani was spending more time with Captain Ramirez than her? It hurt that Dani didn’t see her the same way… love her the same way.

“Look, Dani, I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Grace said, getting up.

“Grace, please,” Dani said, a pleading tone in her voice. “We’ve always been able to tell each other everything. I can’t stand this distance between us. If I’ve done something to upset you or hurt you, how can I make it right if you won’t tell me?”

Grace sighed. She had to admit as well that she hated being at odds with Dani. But what to say? “It’s just that… you’ve been spending a lot of time away. It seems you’re spending more and more time with the captain, and it hasn’t been all about work.”

“Oh…. I see,” Dani said, a look of understanding crossing her beautiful face. 

Grace couldn’t believe she just admitted that Dani spending so much time with Captain Ramirez had been bothering her. She had no doubt she was blushing. She couldn’t even look up to meet Dani’s eyes.

“I’ve never spent time with Captain Ramirez that didn’t involve work,” Dani said, taking Grace’s hands in hers.

“The other day I overheard you two speaking in Spanish. You were telling him about where you went to school when you were younger in Mexico,” Grace said.

Dani laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Grace asked.

“I’m just happy that our Spanish lessons haven’t gone to waste,” Dani said, smiling amusedly. 

“I’m glad you’re finding humor in this,” Grace said, wryly. 

“Look, Grace, I remember that conversation. We were debating whether or not to extend the new recruits’ training by a couple of weeks. I don’t recall why he brought it up, but he made mention of attending Instituto Miguel Ángel which was a high school in Mexico City. I had attended the same school, but I was three years behind him. That was all. If you had eavesdropped a little longer, you would have realized that was about the extent of our conversation,” Dani said, smiling.

“Oh…” Grace said, feeling even more embarrassed.

“Why does me conversing with the captain in Spanish bother you, Grace?”

Grace shrugged. “It just seems pretty intimate.”

“And that bothers you because…?”

“Because I already rarely see you now…. If you started a relationship with Captain Ramirez, I’d never see you…. I guess, I’m scared you’ll forget about me.” It was mostly true, albeit with some key omissions.

“I have no intention of getting involved with anyone, Grace. Lord knows I don’t have the time. As far as Captain Ramirez is concerned, he’s just a colleague I highly respect,” Dani said.

Grace scoffed. “Does he know that?”

“Of course!”

“I doubt it. He wants you. I can see it in his eyes,” Grace said.

“Even if you’re right, it doesn’t matter. I’m not interested. And I need you to understand that I haven’t been around lately, not because I’m spending my time socially with the captain, or anyone else for that matter. I’m away because my responsibilities to the resistance has been taking up all my time.”

Grace sighed. “I’m sorry, Dani. I know you’ve got so much on your plate. The last thing you need is a moody teenager. I didn’t mean to make things harder for you,” Grace said, feeling terrible for the way she’d been acting.

“I know. And I know things haven’t been easy for you either. And I’m sorry I’ve made you feel that you come second in my life. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Dani said.

“Thanks, Dani,” Grace said, truly meaning it. It was a relief to know where Dani stood on things regarding the captain. “I don’t mean to be so high maintenance.”

Dani laughed. “I have my moments too, Grace. And just for the record, whenever I do have time outside of work, there’s no one I’d rather spend it with than you.”

“Really?” Grace said, unable to keep from smiling.

“Really. And you know what I want to do with my time off the next time I have some?” Dani said.

“What?”

“I want to celebrate your birthday. So, you’d better think of what you want to do.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Grace said, playfully. 

“Good. Now go get some rest. It’s getting late,” Dani said.

Dani watched Grace make her way to the washroom to get ready for bed. Dani felt awful that Grace had been jealous this entire time. It hadn’t occurred to her what the captain’s constant presence had seemed like to Grace. She had a feeling for quite some time that Grace had a crush on her. Now, she was all but sure.

She didn’t want to disclose to Grace that the reason she’d been spending more time with the captain recently was because a part of Dani feared she couldn’t stop Grace from joining the resistance much longer. There was a determination in Grace that Dani had no idea how to contain. If Dani was fate’s prisoner, and Grace was destined to join the resistance, then she wanted to make sure that the captain would be the right man to train her. In order for Grace to survive as a soldier, she needed someone who could take her to the edge, and bring her back stronger. That person couldn’t be Dani. She loved Grace too much to be that hard on her. 

When Grace, _her Grace_ , had died in her arms so many years ago, they hadn’t had enough time to truly get to know each other. They barely even had a chance to say goodbye. Oh, they had loved each other… or at least she could say for certain that she had loved Grace with all her heart and hoped that she’d felt the same way. There had definitely been something between them. But fate had been cruel and ripped Grace from her life far too soon. 

But then fate was a fickle mistress and had brought Grace back into her life. Only, it wasn’t _her_ Grace. But it was still Grace. And the more she grew up, the more Dani found herself seeing her as the Grace she had lost. At almost eighteen, this Grace looked almost identical to her Grace, albeit more fresh-faced and minus the scars. And the more she couldn’t tell them apart, the more she started falling in love again.

But this Grace knew nothing of her past. And she’d like to keep it that way. She didn’t want this Grace beholden to a past and a destiny not of her own making. Also, being the older one between them, she felt she had a responsibility not to take advantage of Grace. It was very possible that this crush Grace seemed to harbor for her was nothing but a bit of hero-worship. If anything was to happen between them – a thought that Dani was no longer _not_ entertaining – Grace would need to make the first move.

Dani yawned, just realizing how tired she was. The evening had definitely been a surreal one for her. It was difficult to reconcile the parallels between her and Grace. Just like Dani had felt so many years ago, Grace was feeling a sense of unrequited love for her saviour. Dani smiled to herself tiredly. Perhaps one day, Grace would come to know that her feelings weren’t exactly unrequited. 

**Author’s Notes:** This fic was bouncing around my head for a couple of days now and I just had to get it down in writing. I was re-reading chapter 14 of my Dani/Grace fic _Fate Binds Us_ , and in that chapter, Grace made mention of her feelings of jealousy and how she had to hide how she felt for Dani for years. I thought it was something worth exploring, hence I put this little fic together. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little snippet in Grace and Dani’s past. If you want to drop me a msg, feel free to e-mail me at kooky.krumbs@yahoo.com. 


End file.
